2/26/10 The staff at Maloy’s wants to thank our clients for sharing their wonderful family jewelry stories! It is an honor to be included in the process of getting your precious heirlooms ready for another generation to enjoy.
THE ITEM- Today I worked with a woman who has a beautiful, heavy , 18k yellow gold chain. The chain dates from the Victorian era, and is almost 6 feet long.
THE STORY- This woman’s grandmother hid this extraordinary chain in her clothing when she immigrated to the United States from Greece around 1910. She was traveling with her two small children, and brought the chain as an “insurance policy”, thinking she could use it in an emergency as a bribe to secure safe passage. Happily, it was not needed, and all arrived safely, with the chain still hidden in her bodice.
THE NEXT CHAPTER – “The Chain” is now being divided into a number of shorter necklaces and bracelets, so that each of this brave woman’s descendants can have their own piece of this wonderful family story.
2/22/10 Good thinking! Clients A. & C. came in today with a scary story
but happy ending. C’s ring was too big on him, and next thing he knew, it
fell off his cold wet hand on the beach at Sauvie Island. The heavy gold
band immediately vanished into the sand without a trace, and they knew
sifting through the sand was only burying it deeper. In a burst of
brilliance, they ran out and rented a metal detector. They located the ring
within 5 minutes of searching, and brought it in to have it sized correctly.
2/15/10 A first today at Maloy’s! A young woman came in a bit distraught.
It seems her boyfriend had proposed to her the night before, and in her
excitement and determination, she somehow managed to get the ring on her
finger, despite the fact that it was far too small. Now it was hopelessly
stuck. All of our best ring removal tricks were tried in vain. We actually
wound up having to cut the ring off her finger less than 24 hours after she
first put it on. Several morals story- 1) balance your enthusiasm to wear
your ring with a bit of common sense. 2) Windex is best for lubricating a
ring stuck on your hand. 3) If all else fails, Maloy’s can usually cut your
ring off quickly and painlessly… And then resize it correctly for you.
H.H. of Portland, on 1/24/10 writes-
Dear Maloy’s staff,
I am the woman who wanted to buy the art deco dinner ring this January. .. I
didn’t want you to think I had forgotten about the ring or found something
else. Instead, I remember it with a lusty fondness, bordering on Lord of
the Rings obsession… I must also tell you how wonderful your shop is, a
bright gem in and of itself. Your taste is impeccable and every person I
spoke with was charming, well-educated and courteous. I didn’t feel
pressured at all and in fact, received some very good advice when it was
suggested I wait to buy the ring I really wanted rather than settle for the
cheaper second best… I have never bought fine jewelry before, but I fully
intend to in the near future, and when I do it will be at your shop. I look
forward to that day.
UPDATE- H.H. Decided to wait till she could put a deposit on her “dream”
Deco ring. She is currently paying it off, interest free, with our layaway
plan.
